mccoy



(Application filed Mar. 2, 1898.

(No Model.)

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Patented Sept. l3, I898.

E. MCCOY.

LUBRICATOR.

(Application filed Mar. 2, 1898.)

(NdMudeL) 3 Sheets-$heet 2.

InvemZor 7755a e .536 a Maw HLM/VW N0. 6|0,634. Patented Sept. 13,1898.

E. mccov.

LUBRICATOB.

1 (Application filed MM. 2, 1898. Y 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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lUnrrnn rarns ATENT rrrcn,

ELIJAH MCCOY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE DETROIT SHEET METALAND BRASS WORKS, OF SAME PLACE.

LUBRICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 610,634, datedSeptember 13, 1898.. Application filed O 2, 1893- Serial No. 672,277.(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIJ AH MCCOY, of Detroit, Michigan, have .inventeda new and useful Improvement in Lubricators, which improvement is fullyset forth in the following specification.

My present invention has reference to lubricators, and particularly tolubricators operating upon the principle ofcondensation displacement forfeeding oil to the several cylinders of a multiple-expansionsteam-engine through pipes leading thereto. In such lubricators it isnecessary to provide means for propelling the oil through the pipe orpipes leading into the intermediate or low pressure cylinder orcylinders, into which pipe or pipes the oil passes from the sight-feeds.Such means is, however, not necessary in connection with the pipe orpassage from the sight-feed for the high-pressure cylinder into the mainsteam-pipe, as the suction created by the passage of steam through thelatter is sufficient to draw the oil through said pipe or passage intothe main steam-pipe, whereby it passes into the high-pressure cylinder.

WVith the above-indicated object in view it has been customary toutilize a jet of steam taken from the main steam-pipe through a tube orpassage which branches to the several pipes for conveying oil to therespective cylinders. In practical use, however, it has been found thatthis arrangement does not operate, as intended, to feed oil in properproportion (regulated by the valves at the lower ends of thesight-feeds) to the several cylinders, but that a very seriousdifticultyand defect exists in that the lubricant instead of passing in saidproper proportion to the respective cylinders practically all passes tothe low-pressure cylinder, leaving the high and intermediate pressurecylinders unlubricated and necessitating the use of ordinary hand-pumpsfor supplying the requisite quantity of lubricant to the latter orentailing the expense of a separate sight-feed lubricator for eachcylinder. This heretofore-unexplained defect in the operation of such devices I have found to be due to the fact that the steam passing throughthe tube which communicates with the main steam-pipe instead of dividinginto the branches leading to the high and intermediate pressurecylinders (in thecase of a triple-expansion engine, for example) willall pass through the pipe leading to the low-pressure cylinder, as thispipe oifers the path of least resistance. The result is that the oil inthe pipes extending to the high and intermediate pressure cylinders isall drawninto the pipe leading to the low-pressure cylinder. The objectof my present invention is to overcome this defect and to provide meanswhereby the proper quantity of oil will be fed to each cylinderirrespective of the difference in pressure between the severalcylinders. This is accomplished by providing independentsteam-supplypassages for the pipes conveying oil from the sight-feeds ofthe low and intermediate pressure cylinders, communicating with the mainsteam -pipe at any suitable point or points a sufficient distance abovethe entrance thereto of the passage conducting oil for the high-pressurecylinder so that such oil in atomized form could not possibly be drawnupwardly in the main steam-pipe and pass into the auxiliary steam-pipeand thence to the low-pressure cylinder. By the arrangement aboveindicated it will be observed that branches from a common auxiliarysteampipe to the pipes leading, respectively, to the low andintermediate pressure cylinders are avoided, and hence such defectiveoperation as hereinbefore described is rendered impossible.

, I have found it convenient and advantageous in practice to arrange theindependent auxiliary steam pipe or pipes vertically, connecting them attheir lower ends to the oilsupply pipe or pipes, respectively, forconducting the oil from the top of the sight-feed or sight -feeds to theintermediate or low pressure cylinders and at their upper ends leadingthem into the upper end of the condensing-chamber, the latter beingarranged at the upper extremity of the hydrostatic column, as hereinshown, (and as more fully described and claimed in my application filedDecember i, 1896, Serial No. 614,443,) from which the water is fed todisplace the oil in the reservoir; but any other suitable arrangementmay be employed. For example, the

independent auxiliary steam-pipes may each be separately tapped into themain steampipe at suitable elevation above the inlet to the latter forthe oil which passes to the highpressure cylinder.

My invention will be more fully understood by reference .to theaccompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of ahorizontal compound engine having my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2is an enlarged side elevation of the lubricator and main steampipe,parts being in section. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line m m, Fig.2; and Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 1 of a triple-expansion engine.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, A represents thehigh-pressure cylinder, and B the low-pressure cylinder.

0 is the steam-chamber, into which steam passes by an opening 0 from thehigh-pressure cylinder through a pipe. (Not shown.) D is the mainsteam-pipe from the boiler, passing downwardly through saidsteamchamber, where it acts as a superheater for steam passing throughthe latter into the high-pressure cylinder.

0 is the steam-exit from the chamber 0 into the low-pressure cylinder.

E is the oil-reservoir of a double-connection condensation displacementlubricator, which may be of any suitable well-known construction,provided with a gage-glass E and sight-feeds F F for the high and lowpressure cylinders, respectively, said sightfeeds connecting withoil-exit pipe 70 in the reservoir.

e is the condenser-tube, leading into the oil-reservoir from the bottomof the con-- denser G, located at the upper end of said tube andcommunicating with the main steam-pipe through a support-arm g.

The parts of the apparatus as thus far described may be of any suitablewell-known construction and constitute no part of my present invention.

From the upper end of the sight-feed F the oil fed through the latter isconveyed through support-arm f to the main steam-pipe, down which it iscarried to the high-pressure cylinder, the passage through pipe f beingcontrolled by a valve f. f is another pipe by which oil fed through thesight-feed F is conveyed to the low-pressure cylinder through passage 0,into which said pipe f leads.

his an independent auxiliary steam-pipe leading into pipe f at its lowerend at a point near the sight-feed and at its upper end connected intothe upper part of condenser G above the level of support-arm g, so thatany overflow of water of condensation will pass through said arm anddown the main steam-pipe and not down pipe it.

An important advantage gained by tapping the auxiliary steam-pipes itinto the upperpart of the condensing-chamber is that the latter affordsan area of surface which will readily accommodate a large number of suchpipes when the lubricator is used in connec-' tion with engines havingmany expansioncylinders, at the same time dispensing with many jointsand connections which would be necessary in case such auxiliary pipeswere separately tapped into the main steam-pipe or into the pipe leadinginto the top of the condenserfrom said main steam-pipe. It also affordsa construction which can be readily applied to lubricators of thisgeneral character now in use by a mere substitution of parts and atcomparatively slight expense.

The operation of my improved lubricator is as follows: The wateradmitted beneath the oil from the hydrostatic column formed in thecondenser-pipe e and condenser G displaces oil in the reservoir E,causing the same to be fed in drops upwardly through the sightfeedglasses F F (the rapidity of such feed being controlled by adjustment ofthe valves admitting oil to the sight-feeds) and into the pipes f and fwhere it immediately becomes atomized or vaporized by the steam in saidpipes. From the support-arm f the vaporized oil is drawn into the mainsteam-pipe by reason of a slight suction due to the passage of steamtherethrough into the high-pressure cylinder. In the pipe f thevaporized oil is propelled along to the low-pressure cylinder by the jetof steam passing into and through said pipe from independent steam-pipeit. There being no possible way in which the vaporized oil in the pipe fcould pass into the pipe f and to the low-pressure cylinder, thehigh-pressure cylinder receives its proper proportion of the lubricant.

When applied to triple-expansion engines, as shown in Fig. t, a secondindependent steam-pipe h will connect from the upper part of thecondenser G into the oil-feed pipe f leading from the sight-feed F(corresponding to the intermediate cylinder) to theintermediate-pressure cylinder B, the possibility of all the oil feedingto the low-pressure cylinder (as occurs in the lubricators of this typenow ordinarily employed) being avoided by the arrangement of theauxiliary steam-pipes above described.

Among the features of construction which are particularly to be observedare, first, that the hydrostatic column is not tapped, as in many oldconstructions, and which diminishes the efiectiveness of the column,and, second, that the low and high or intermediate pressure oil-supplypipes do not go through the same support-arm, as in old constructions,the effect of which is, as already pointed out, to establish acommunication between these two pipes, with the result that all or farthe greater part of the lubricant goes to the low-pressure cylinder.

While for purpose of economy and convenience of construction it isdesirable to connect the independent auxiliary steam-pipe (or pipes) atits upper end to the condensingchamber, said pipe could with equally asgood operative results be tapped into the main steam-pipe at anyconvenient point above the pipe f. Such and many otherdeviations fromthe precise construction illustrated and described will be understood tobe fully within the scope and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a condensation-displacement lubricator for multiple-expansionengines, the combination with the sight-feed tubes, of pipes or passagesleading therefrom to the high and low pressure cylinders, respectively,and an auxiliary steam-pipe leading at its lower end into the pipe orpassage from the sight-feed to the lower-pressure cylinder, andindependent of the pipe leading to the high-pressure cylinder and at itsupper end communicating with the main steam-pipe at a suitable point,substantially as described.

2. In a condensation-displacement lubricator for multiple-expansionengines, the combination with the sight-feed tubes each having anindependent connection with the oilreservoir, of pipes leading therefromto the high and low pressure cylinders, respectively, and an auxiliarysteam-pipe leading at its lower end into the pipe from the sight-feed tothe lower-pressure cylinder, and independent of the pipe leading to thehigh-pressure cylinder and at its upper end communicating with the mainsteam-pipe at a suitable point, substantially as described.

3. In a condensation-displacementlubricator for multiple-expansionengines, the combination with the sight-feed tubes, of inde pendentpipes leading therefrom to the main steam-pipe and to the intermediateand low pressure cylinders, respectively, and independent auxiliarysteaIn-pipes, one for each of the pipes leading to the intermediate andlow pressure cylinders, connecting with said pipes at their lower endsand at their upper ends communicating with the main steampipe at anysuitable point above the point of introduction thereinto of the oil forthe 'highpressure cylinder, substantially as described.

4. In a lubricator for multiple-expansion engines, the combination withthe oil-feed passage into the main steam-pipe for the lubricant for thehigh-pressure cylinder, and an oil-feed pipe leading to each of theother cylinders, of an independent auxiliary steam pipe or pipes, onefor each of said last-named feed-pipes, which auxiliary pipescommunicate at the upper end with the main steampipe at a suitablepoint, and at their lower ends lead into the respective feed-pipes,substantially as described.

5. In a condensation-displacementlubricator for multiple-expansionengines, the combination with the sight-feed tubes, of feedpipes, onefor conveying oil into the main steam-pipe for the high-pressurecylinder, and another for conveying oil from the other sight-feed to thelow-pressure cylinder, and a pipe for the water of'conden'sation leadingupwardly from the oil-reservoir into the bottom of a condensing-chamberconnected with the main steam-pipe, and an auxiliary steampipeconnecting at its upper end into the upper part of the condensingchamberand at its lower end into the oil-feed pipe to the lowpressure cylinderand independent of the oilfeed pipe to the high-pressure cylinder,substantially as described.

6. In a condensationdisplacement lubricator for multiple-expansionengines, the combination with two cylinders of different pressures, ofan oil-reservoir, two independent oil-feed pipes for conducting oil fromthe reservoir to said cylinders respectively, and two independentauxiliary steam-pipes cornmunicating with said oil-feed pipes,respectively, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

ELIJ AH MCCOY. Witnesses:

J. G. EDWARDS, M. H. WILLIAMS.

